1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stepping exerciser, and more particularly to a stepping exerciser having a swing able foot support or having rotatable foot pedals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various typical stepping exercisers have been developed and comprise a foot support or a pair of foot pedals rotatably supported on a base and swing able relative to the base, for allowing the users to swing their bodies in addition to the stepping exercises.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,512 to Yu, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,344 B2 to Tang disclose two of the typical stepping exercisers including a pair of foot pedals rotatably supported on a base and coupled together with three gears or worms, for allowing the foot pedals to swing relative to the base, and for allowing the users to swing their bodies in addition to the stepping exercises.
However, the gears or worms are engaged or attached to the front end of the foot pedals and the base where the foot pedals suffer the greatest forces, such that the teeth of the gears or worms may be damaged easily after use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,856 to Liu disclose another typical stepping exerciser including a pair of foot pedals rotatably supported on a base and coupled together with a sprocket-and-chain coupling mechanism, for allowing the foot pedals to be coupled together. However, the foot pedals may not be caused or used to swing their bodies in addition to the stepping exercises. In addition, the sprocket-and-chain coupling mechanism includes a complicated configuration and having a number of members or elements that may not be easily assembled together by the workers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,833 to Chen discloses a further typical stepping exerciser including a pair of foot pedals rotatably supported on a base. Each of the foot pedals includes a downwardly extended guide pillar to engage with two arcuate protrusions provided on the base, and to guide or to force the foot pedals to be rotated relative to the base, and thus to allow the users to swing their bodies in addition to the stepping exercises.
However, the guide pillars are required to directly engage with and force against the arcuate protrusions of the base with a frictional engagement, such that both the guide pillars and the arcuate protrusions of the base may be easily damaged after use due to the rub or scratch between the guide pillars and the arcuate protrusions of the base.
In addition, the guide pillars are extended from the front end of the foot pedals where the foot pedals suffer the greatest forces, such that the guide pillars may also be damaged easily after use.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional stepping exercisers.